DIY Colorchecker Chart.

W. Fisher

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I ran into a small problem with a drone and the wide angle lenses they use on them with regards to color in editing. The x-rite or Macbeth Colorchecker chart is just too small to capture in post editing work so I needed a larger one. Could be handy at some sites too with landscapes and the wide angle DSLR lenses.

So I decided since my printers are calibrated using the i1 PhotoPro 2 and BasICColor software, "Why not make my own chart in Photoshop?" Might try a 17x22 inch print in the Epson 3880 using the Cone pigments and their new HD-Black.

If one Googles "Colorchecker Wiki" you'll find a table with the colors and their hex number values here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ColorChecker

Under "Manufacturer's sRGB D65 color values" you see the numbers to fill in Photoshop for each color description. Just set it for a 3" square using Adobe RGB and maybe 300 dpi" an fill that square and place it on a black 17x22 image. I did all of them with about a 1/2" separation between the squares and mounted it. I used some Epson Hot Bright White (17x22 inches) as the matte paper although I printed it with the PK black inks and not the matte black as the Cone HD-PK black ink was being used. I saved each color as a layer and the file as a PSD so I can alter it if needed later.

To set the fill color, click on the 'Color Tab' in upper right of PS, then the upper menu on that tab, then select "Web Color Sliders" and the "Current Colors" both. That will allow you to enter the hex numbers for the RGB values from the Wiki and then use the Fill to fill the 3" square. Print using your paper profile and enjoy!

Turned out better than I expected and pretty darn close to the factory card. The Brown and Light Skin tone may be a bit too light, but the card is read by the Davinci Resolve 14 Beta (Free) video editing software from the drone. I made a custom LUT and installed it into Davinci Resolve 14 and that pretty much speeds up the post processing.

W.F.



DIY Colorchecker Chart.jpg


Added:

I'm thinking mounting the chart and either laminating over over-spraying it and use it for a landing pad. Might slit it in the middle with a tape hinge to fold and carry. When landing the drone on it, I just flip the video camera downwards and capture the chart and I got both the chart and ambient daylight (white balance) all ready to do in post. :weee
 
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